A gorgeous rose appeared in my path one day
In the vast rainbow of a garden, it alone caught my eye
A flower so unique, more lovely than any sight I'd known
Petals so vibrant they sparkled like rubies in the sunlight
Exuding a lingering fragrance both sweet and intoxicating.

The enchanted rose warmly beckoned again and again
Entranced, I celebrated the wonder of each silky, outstretched petal
I was drunk with joy as I witnessed it blossom and thrive
In awe of its defiant courage
When dark storms trampled over so many others

Just a single, delicate rose amid the tangled tapestry of a garden
But one with a glow so mighty as to guide me inside my own heart
I treasured each second I had in its presence
And when far away, I tried to nourish it with wishes, prayers and dreams
With a love as pure as honey, as deep as the sky, and as natural as both

But roses are not forever
No matter how strong, how beautiful, how dear
Why should a source of such endless elation be so ephemeral,
Its thorns more cutting with the knowledge of what has faded?
How do I go on when this special rose has vanished?

A precious rose, so irreplaceable, so missed,
But I do not wish to have wandered instead amid a forest of redwood trees
To have truly loved a rose so rare is a miracle
Its spirit still swirls in the wind, embracing me with a rosy, everlasting aura of love,
A guiding force as I march forward upon the winding and uncertain path of life.

poem by Faith L. Burwasser, March 1998

 

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